Staying in the eye of the media can sometimes cost you a few marbles. Or I.Q. points. Take the cases of Rev. Wiley Drake and Rev. James David Manning. Both have taken upon themselves the odious task of pleading for the death of President Obama. With Drake, it was "imprecatory prayer" (the first time in centuries since those words were ever used, sending millions of people to their dictionaries), asking God to smite Obama when He got the chance. But Manning was more poetic (I think) in telling his faithful that "If Obama lives, America dies." Many people (including Homeland Security) took that sentiment to be a flagrant request for someone, anyone, to kill the President. Of course, neither was as blatantly obtuse as Steven Anderson who said Obama should be killed like a snail - sending some people out to buy huge bags of salt.

BTW: where do these people come from?

So now we have two ministers who have tried to backtrack into less treasonous territory.

A former Southern Baptist Convention officer who made headlines in June when he said on national radio that he was praying for Barack Obama to die now says he wants to see the president live long enough to stand trial for treason.

Wiley Drake, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif., issued a press release Nov. 19 calling for an end to "imprecatory prayer" -- words of judgment from the Book of Psalms prayed back to God, directed toward Obama. Drake attributed his change of heart to "spiritual counsel" of James David Manning, pastor at ATLAH World Missionary Church in New York, contained in a 16 1/2-minute video recorded Nov. 18.

"I do not want to see anyone attempt, dream about, think about or ever discuss assassinating you," Manning continued. "It is most important to you and to my savior Jesus that you live, and that you live a long life, but that you live that we might be able to bring you to trial.

So Manning has backtracked from his convoluted "mack daddy" speeches to wish Obama a long life (notice he didn't say "healthy") in order to bring him to trial. A visit from Homeland Security to Manning's church/seminary/school/broadcast center could have had something to do with his change of heart, although he also recorded a "fine, take me!" video.

I know, too many people are asking "Are these wackos news?" Unfortunately they are: remember what we've always said about religion and entertainment: in America, you can't tell them apart.